There has been a proliferation of portable communications devices, including cellular phones and electronic computing devices such as laptop computers and hand held personal computing devices, that are powered or their battery pack recharged by a DC power supply converted from a vehicle's DC power supply, accessible from the cigarette lighter socket. Power to these devices is typically fed through an adaptor plug inserted into the cigarette lighter socket to electrically connect a conductive contact tip on the power adaptor to a contact tip in the cigarette lighter socket. Current is conducted over the connection between the contact tips of the power adaptor and socket to either an electrical device for immediate operation or to a battery pack(s) or battery pack charger. The increasing reliance on these devices for communications and computing tasks makes it imperative that the vehicle's cigarette lighter socket cooperate with the power adaptors to provide DC power for operating the devices or charging their battery packs.
A number of devices which are to be powered through the vehicle's cigarette lighter socket are returned to the manufacturer under the mistaken assumption that the devices do not operate properly because of a manufacturing defect. In many instances, the problem resides not with the device, but with poor electrical contact between the power adaptor's conducting or contact tip and the lighter socket's contact tip. The surface of the contact tip in the cigarette lighter socket is prone to oxidation or contamination by cigarette ashes deposited by a cigarette lighter plug. The oxidation or ashes deposited can act as an insulation barrier to conduction between the contact tips of the power adaptor and lighter socket. Accordingly, there is a need for a device which will improve electrical contact or conduction between the contact tips of the power adaptor and cigarette lighter socket.